Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai led a mass revolutionary song sing-along ahead of the Communist Party's 90th anniversary today. Political rival and predecessor Wang Yang told cadres not to be overwhelmed by flowers and applause and not to overlook public opinion.
At a provincial conference to celebrate the founding of the party, the Guangdong party boss urged officials 'not to be overwhelmed by success and numbers but overlook existing problems, not to be overwhelmed by development and achievements but neglect potential risks', according to yesterday's edition of Nanfang Daily.
Wang called for 'free thinking and mind liberation' to remove red tape and obstacles to economic development, for Guangdong to 'be a vanguard of scientific development' and focus on 'real happiness' for its people, themes he has reiterated in several high-profile campaigns since taking over as Guangdong party chief in 2007.
In Chongqing, Bo has been busy churning out new campaigns and slogans to praise the ruling Communist Party.
On Wednesday, he presided over a 100,000-strong rally of revolutionary songs, to which even former US state secretary Henry Kissinger was invited.
Ong Yew-kim, an expert on mainland politics, said Wang's sophisticated speech was an oblique criticism of Bo's 'red campaign' and suggested that two very different political views were competing within the party. 'Personally, I believe Wang's speech also tried to reassure Hong Kong ... that Guangdong won't follow Chongqing's leftism,' he said.
